With bright sunlight and reasonably cool weather, runners from across the nation helped kick off the 12th annual Newport 10K race on May 2. The event broke new records for the number of runners who took part and drew thousands of spectators to view the runners that circled Newport and parts of downtown Jersey City.
With $15,000 in prize money available, more than 1,000 runners pre-registered for the event with 1,330 registered runners ultimately participating.
The USATF certified course was comprised of flat and local roads, and weaved along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway with spectacular views of the New York skyline.
The annual May event started at Newport and had runners taking a route that brought them to Grove and 18th streets in the north, back down Jersey Avenue to First Street, then in a zigzag route down to Grand Street for a return to the waterfront and back north to the Newport area.
Thousands of spectators lined the streets to cheer.
Meet the winners
This year’s winner, 25-year-old Donn Cabral of Annandale, completed the race in less than 30 minutes at just 29:39.99. The fastest female runner, 34-year-old Brianne Nelson of Golden, Colo., completed the 10K at a 5 minute-mile pace, with an official time of 32:59.92.
The rest of the top 10 included Eric Fernandez of Flagstaff, Ariz.; Bobby Mack of Raleigh, N.C.; Nicholas Kipruto of Copperas Cove, Texas; Richard Flynn, of Westfield; Adam Freudenthal of Spartanburg, S.C.; Youssef Rochdi of Rockaway, Andrew Benford, of Flagstaff, Ariz.; Jonny Wilson, of Flagstaff, Ariz., and Justin Scheid, of Sparta.
Local champions include Nitin Sablok of Jersey City, who finished 13th; Will Appman of Hoboken, 26th; Michael Soroko of Jersey City, 40th; Jeff Dengate of Jersey City, 60th; Collin Chan of Jersey City, 77th; and Sarah Schillaci, of North Bergen, 83rd.
Proceeds will be donated to the Jersey City Medical Center – Barnabas Health, the area’s only not-for-profit hospital, and the regional trauma center.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.